A Standout Sport Sedan
When the Cadillac CTS was launched last year as a 2003 model it quickly became one of my favorite cars, at least from a design perspective. Its sharply creased contours radically stand out in a sea of bland sameness, only the Audi A4 and
Infiniti G35 providing tasteful counterpoints to the safe styling approach taken by the majority of premium automakers.
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The sharply creased contours of the CTS make it stand out against many of the other premium brand cars on the road. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press) |
After spending a week behind the wheel of an early example I was equally thrilled with the model's dynamic driving characteristics. Its healthy V6 and very slick 5-speed automatic gearbox feeding the rear wheels, induced an exciting dose of oversteer into a brand known more for the opposite since the entire lineup went front-wheel drive in the 80s.
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The rear-wheel drive CTS has been optimized for sport, with Cadillac doing a good job to allow road feel through the steering wheel without any harshness. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press) |
Now that all of Cadillac's drivelines are doing an about face the CTS' Sigma chassis can be optimized for sport. Its independent suspension incorporates double short/long arms with coil-over shocks, an anti-roll bar and monotube dampers up front, plus a multi-link setup with coil springs, anti-roll bar and monotube dampers in the rear. Cadillac has done a good job to allow road feel through the steering wheel without any harshness, by creating a non-isolated front suspension cradle combined with an isolated steering box that effectively eliminates compliance between steering wheel and tire.